Wrong blood report led to incorrect treatment, lab fined

By Kanu Sarda New Delhi, Feb 25 (IANS) The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has slapped a fine of Rs.25,000 on a pathological laboratory in Patna for giving a wrong blood test report, which led to incorrect treatment of a patient. “Testing blood type and Rhesus factor (Rh) are basic and fundamental aspects of blood tests and pathological laboratories are required to be extremely careful since the wrong report can make the difference between life and death,” said Justice M.B. Shah, president of the national consumer forum.

On Sep 24, 1991, Geeta Singh was found to be two months pregnant by a doctor who asked her to get a routine blood test done.

According to the blood report given by Mayur Laboratories, Geeta’s blood group was Rh Positive A. The doctor treated Geeta on the basis of the report but advised her to abort the foetus after medical problems.

Geeta conceived for a second time but had to undergo an abortion again due to some complications. Later, Geeta had a healthy child.

When she got pregnant for the fourth time, Geeta decided to consult another doctor who also prescribed some blood tests. This time she went to another laboratory for the tests and the report showed that her blood group was Rh Negative.

Geeta’s doctor told her that all the previous complications during her pregnancies were due to the wrong blood test report that led to wrong diagnosis and treatment. She also lost her fourth child since the treatment had already started on the basis of the old report.

Geeta approached the consumer court in Bihar, demanding a compensation of Rs.1 million for the mental and physical suffering she had to undergo due to the wrong blood report.

The state consumer forum dismissed her plea but she appealed to the national consumer forum, which gave her relief earlier this month.

“Giving the report in a casual manner has to be condemned since Rh factor plays an extremely important role during pregnancy. A woman is at risk when she has a negative Rh factor, especially when her husband has a positive Rh factor. The wrong diagnosis can lead to haemolytic disease that can cause illness, brain damage and even death of the foetus,” the bench of the National Consumer Forum ruled.